Lara sat up and tried to catch her breath. Tanner was talking swiftly, and she couldn’t catch the import. But the main thing was that the moment was clearly over. She pulled herself up and sat down on the couch.

Tanner was hanging up. “Sorry. If it had been any other call, I would have tossed the phone in that ornamental lake outside.” He added wryly, “But I’d placed the call and I had to hear the follow-up.”

“I understand. You were busy. It’s not as if anything—” She got to her feet. “We’ll talk later.”

“No, we’ll talk right now. I’m pissed off and not going to leave this hanging.” He stood up. “I decided that we needed to take control of the scenario. Since we left Indian Hills, Volkov’s and Anton’s men have been trying to reach me. I blocked it and told my people not to give them my phone number. I just called my manager in Ocean City and told him to contact Volkov’s or Anton’s crew and take the bribe they offered to give them my phone number.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to start moving. More, I want Volkov to start talking. He might give away things that we need to know.”

“You didn’t want me to be available by phone.”

“I didn’t want him to tear you up,” he said roughly. “Your history with him isn’t that good. Let me handle him.”

“He wouldn’t have torn me up. I might have gotten emotional, but I can keep him from seeing it. I’ve done it before. You should have let him call me.”

“I thought about it.” He paused. “But I want the battle turned against me. Walker said Sandrino talked about me a lot. That’s a head start. Volkov has to believe that it was a kidnapping rather than an extraction because I wanted to take something of his. That’s another step. He’s afraid I know that he might have killed Sandrino, and that’s a giant step.”

“I don’t need all your steps,” she said. “He hates me and wants to hurt me.” She smiled crookedly. “I win.”

“You didn’t even enter the competition. We’ll see how it works out after I have my shot at him.”

And she knew how persuasive he could be. She had seen him at all those plush casinos, had heard him talking, coaxing all of Walker’s friends. She also realized it was essential Volkov believed in the kidnapping scenario. “Yes, we’ll see. When do you expect contact?”

“Probably tonight. I think Volkov will be eager. He’ll be angry that I had the nerve to take you. He’ll want to strike out and see if he can hurt me. He’ll want to probe and see if I’m everything Sandrino said I was.”

“And I’d no longer be a challenge?”

“That’s right.” He was suddenly grinning mischievously. “Old stuff.”

She smiled grudgingly. “Damn you.”

“No doubt that will happen. Go to bed, Lara.”

“No way. If you believe he’s going to call you, I’m going to be here.” She stretched out on the couch and drew a red velvet comforter over her. “You can use one of those easy chairs. You deserve it.”